


Right Place, Right Time

by Procrastination_Writer



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Disaster Gay Julius Novachrono, M/M, No beta I surpass my limits like Yami would have wanted, Not a tag I ever though I'd be using
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26127340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Procrastination_Writer/pseuds/Procrastination_Writer
Summary: Sometimes a choice can alter an entire future and at the same time change nothing at all.
Relationships: Zara Ideale/Julius Novachrono
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	Right Place, Right Time

**Author's Note:**

> This took so looooong to write! Also I'm sorry if it isn't 'romance' enough, I dont have much experience writing it.

It takes Julius three months to realize what the feeling in his chest, whenever he looks at Zara, is.

He had asked Captain Webb about it, only for the woman to look at him like he was being particularly dense.

He's only sure of one thing. It's not admiration.

He admires Zara, true. Admires the way he wants to protect the people of the kingdom, the way he worked around the limitations of his magic.

He's terrible with most emotions, but he's sure that admiration doesn't make your heart flutter.

_In a Captains' meeting, Charlotte Webb suddenly stops in the middle of an argument with the Praying Mantis' Captain and looks out the window with a frown on her face._

_"You okay Webb?"_

_"I think my Vice-Captain is being deliberately obtuse."_

* * *

The answer comes to him one early morning at the market in Tolsa. He's not even sure what he was doing there.

That's when he sees Zara. Between the man's personality and bright red hair, Julius would have to be blind to miss him.

There's another man with him. _Giving him flowers!_

Julius watches as a boy joins them, Zora judging from the hair color.

The subject of children had come up during one of their meetups when Julius had brought up meeting William (and Julius **will** bring him out of his shell!) earlier that particular week.

_"Zora's shy, I don't know where he gets it from." He'd grinned at Julius, "We should find a way for the boys to meet, maybe they'll cancel each other's shyness!"_

Julius had nodded dumbly, momentarily stunned by that grin, and then had the breath knocked out of him by the following laugh, for some reason.

"Julius!" Wait, what?! He looks down, only to see Zara grinning up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm... well, you see..." He's cut off by a small snort coming from the boy.

"Zora, be nice." Zara is gentle in chiding his son and Julius heart does that weird fluttering, "Well since you're here, you want to join us for lunch?"

"Sure!"

Their house is small but... homely. There's an air of comfort around. He can hear Zora moving around in the house.

"I'd help, but..."

"Cooking isn't your expertise?"

Julius shrugs causing Zara to laugh, "Take a seat then, you can keep me company."

He's left staring at the flowers. For some reason, their existence made him angry.

Why? Why?

And who was that man? Why was he giving Zara flowers?!

_I wanted to give him those damn flowers._

Oh.

_And I wanted to kiss him right after I did._

OH!

No wonder Captain Webb had looked at him like he was an idiot!

"Julius? Are you okay?"

He startles at that, and turns to look at Zara, "Yes! Perfectly fine!"

_Later that day, when the rest of the Grey Deer find their Vice-Captain face down on one of the benches in the courtyard having a crisis, they just shake their head. It was about damn time he figured it out!_

* * *

This time, no matter what the girls say, he didn't plan on meeting him here.

Purely coincidental!

But he is curious. The Purple Orcas are known for not taking joint missions, so it's a surprise to see them here.

"Azure, hide our presence, please. We're going to observe them."

"Yes, Vice-Captain Julius."

He takes the moment to observe Zara as the man examines the door, vaguely aware of **_Heaven's Low Morning_** covering their presence. He's never seen him so focused as he is currently, trying to figure out how to open the door and Julius feels the burning desire to have that focus on _him_.

He hears a giggle and turns to Anthea.

"What are you giggling about?"

"You're smitten Vice-Captain," She says in between giggles, "So, so smitten and you had this look on your face..."

"Observe them not me."

She giggles some more, "Yes Sir!"

"Sir Julius..."

He turns to Azure, his cheerfulness fading at the look of confused horror in the girls' face, "Azure?"

The girl only points and Julius feels something like ice climbing up his spine. He sees one of the Orcas' raise his hand, Grimoire glowing next to him. The man turns to the other two behind him and nods.

_What..._

The other two follow his lead, Grimoires opening as Zara looks at his squad mates, the look of triumph on his handsome face morphing into confusion.

_No!_

"Good riddance peasant!"

_NO!_

The next things he knows, he has two of the men in a **_Chrono Statis_** , Azure has the third one in her **_Heaven's Prison_** , and he can distantly hear Anthea screaming into her communication device.

He looks at Zara who has his back pressed to the door, looking like he's about to hyperventilate.

But he's alive!

He's breathing, and _Oh God_ , if Julius and the girls hadn't been here, he would have... he would be...

He takes a shuddering breath at the thought and walks to the other man in a daze.

He presses their foreheads together, their breaths are mingling and Julius realizes belatedly that his left hand has moved to the back of Zara's neck. His heart does an odd little flip when one Zara's hand comes up to grasp his forearm, while the other one grasps his cloak, _right over the Grey Deer insignia_.

_I could kiss him right now. I **want** to kiss him right now._

So he does.

_Anthea tells him later, that she really thought he would better timing._

* * *

That vile despicable man! How dare he!

Said man, Alistair Steele, had the audacity to claim that Julius and the girls' had attacked his men unprovoked and had demanded that they allow Zara to return to the Purple Orcas' base!

Julius was offended by the notion that Zara was in the Grey Deer base against his wishes. He wasn't, Julius had asked if he wanted to return to his home in Tolsa but Zara had felt that until this matter was resolved he and his son would be in danger.

So until then, the Ideale family would remain in the Grey Deer headquarters.

The murmurs stop when Lady Alma enters the room followed by her personal advisors. A cold woman, he's only met her twice before when she'd asked for his presence .

"Captain Steele, where are your men." It's not a question Julius notices.

The (disgusting, _vile show of a human being_ ) man smirks in Julius' direction before answering their Wizard King, "My men are innocent Lady Alma, so I didn't see a need to have them present here. I'm a man of my word as you know."

"A nice sentiment, Captain Steele. But you forget something." Julius is very pleased to _hear_ the deadpan in her voice.

She turns and looks Steele in the eyes (a harrowing experience he's been told), "I, am the one who decides whether they are innocent or not, and your word is not enough." The Wizard King then turns her unseeing eyes in Azure's direction, "Step forward child."

She looks at him, and Julius squeezes the girl's shoulder, giving her a small smile and nod before she turns and walks to the middle of the room.

"My advisor Veritas will use a spell on you for the interrogation, as to keep you from lying or ommiting information."

"Yes, your Majesty."

The Wizard King smiles at her, "Don't worry it won't hurt. Veritas the floor is yours."

Veritas, the redheaded advisor, steps forward after a bow.

Julius nearly laughs when he sees Steele go pale when Veritas speaks, " _ **Truth Magic: Vere Absolutum**_." and a pale golden glow surrounds Azure.

"Now child," Lady Alma's voice was calm as she spoke, "Tell me what happened in that Dungeon."

Julius watches as Azure sways a bit. "As requested by yourself we, meaning myself, Anthea and Vice-Captain Julius, went to the recently discovered Dungeon, where we were surprised to see the Purple Orcas' there."

"And why were you surprised?"

"It's a known fact that the Purple Orcas don't do missions with other squadrons. It's so they don't have to share the prestige if they find anything or the mission ends up being more important than what the debrief said."

That was news to Julius. Not the intel about the Orcas, he'd heard the rumors shared between the upper members of the squadrons, but the fact that Azure had picked it up.

And she seemed sure that it was a fact and not a rumor.

"You are Azure correct? Aegean Nimbus' sister?"

Hold up, Aegean's sister?! The same Aegean that had disappeared five years prior on... a mission with the Purple Orcas...

Oh.

"Yes ma'am."

The Wizard King sighs, "I see. Please continue with your report."

"Yes ma'am. Vice-Captain Julius though their presence in the dungeon was odd, so he asked me to cover our presence so we could obs..."

"So you were spyi..." Steele didn't get to finish his sentence, as Captain Leonora slammed his face to the wall.

"Keep quiet!"

"Azure, continue please."

"I had just finished concealing our presence when I noticed that one of the men was preparing a spell." Julius noticed that she was swaying on the spot. "I warned Vice-Captain Julius, and then we observed as the other two joined him."

Julius notices that Lady Alma's eyes move slightly towards where Captain Leonora still has Steele pressed to the wall, "And then?"

"Then the first man screamed 'Good riddance peasant'. Sir Julius and I managed to restrain them before they could do any harm to Zara Ideale, while Anthea informed Captain Webb."

The room is silent at that, with the exception of Steele still trying to get away from the grip of the Crimson Lion King's Captain.

"It seems Captain Steele that your men aren't as innocent as you believe." She turns to her other advisor, a mousy-looking woman, "Find them and bring them here."

"Yes Lady Alma." The woman then takes a step to the left and disappears. He must make a sound at that because Captain Webb elbowed him in the ribs, "Not now, Julius!"

Two hours later, the men had been rounded up and brought before the Wizard King, interrogated (not with **_Vere Absolutum_** he noted) where they had revealed that while the rest of the Squadron didn't know about their plan, Alistair Steele had.

"Captain Webb, would you have any trouble with taking Zara Ideale as a member of your Squadron?"

_Julius knows from the way Captain Webb looks at him that he'll pay for giving her problems._

* * *

Zara takes to the Grey Deer with ease. Captain Webb had placed him with Azure and Anthea, the two girls taking to Trap Magic like fishes to water.

Julius for his part finds himself very busy with paperwork, which due to his new Captain duties, seemingly doubles!

It also helps him avoid Zara, to the rest of the Grey Deer's chagrin.

Zora ends up being the one confronting him about it, "You're avoiding my dad."

Julius looks at the small redhead standing a few feet from him, completely deadpan. William is hiding behind him with a small smile on his face, as if somehow Julius having to be confronted by the _pre-teens_ about his love life amuses him. "No, I'm not."

There's a snort from behind him and Julius turns around to see Yami sitting on the ledge of the balcony, "The brat's right old man, you're avoiding his dad."

There were few moments in which Julius regretted his actions. Introducing Yami to Zora was one of those. Because, while William and Zora fed on each others shyness, Zora and Yami fed on each others snarkiness. "You should grow a pair and talk to him."

_In the end Azure and Anthea have to trap them in a supply closet of all places for Julius to talk to him._

_There are many things the Grey Deer regret doing. Getting their new Captain together with the love of his life is one of them, if only for the fact that they're subjected to their love on a regular basis._

* * *

Zora disappears shortly after receiving his Grimoire. He leaves a note, saying not to worry and regularly sends updates, but they don't know where he is.

Until a report from Yami reaches his desk, informing him that he had found the man attacking Magic Knights.

The shocking part isn't that Yami reports having recruited the man into the Black Bulls. Julius had interrogated the Magic Knights attacked and knew that they had been attacked as a response to their behaviour, so no, he isn't surprised.

He's shocked at discovering that the man is Zora.

He tells Zara who's as confused as he is. Because Zora? Attacking Magic Kinghts?

_It will take years for them to have an answer._

* * *

He doesn't know what Zora's playing at, pretentinfg to be the Purple Orca's Vice-Captain, but he lets it slide. It'll make for good entertainment at the very least.

It's also worth it for the look Zara makes when he sees 'Xerx'.

His good mood is terminated by Zora during the matchup against Langris Vaude.

_"You bastards aren't Magic Knights!!!"_

It can only mean one thing. Zora knows about the attack on his fathers life when he was still in the Purple Orcas.The disappearing act and the attacks made sense now.

Zara, for his part, looks like he had during that fateful day. Wrecked and shaken to his core. _"I don't want to tell Zora"_ He'd confessed on one of the rare nights that they had managed to have all three boys for dinner and Julius had managed to pretend they were an ordinary family as he looked at the three boys sharing a room, _"It would ruin his perception of Magic Knights and I don't want him to think all of them are like those four."_

And yet he had found out and Julius isn't sure he want's to know how.

At the end of the day, he manages to speak to Zora, "By the way, your dad and I expect you for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Tonight, Zora."

A small huff, "Fiiine, as long as you old men keep your love on the down-low."

_They end up having a dinner late that day, Zara being to busy fussing over his son and Zora pretending to be put upon by the fussing._

* * *

He lost the stones. Damnit all!

"The next time you complain about the number of traps I place on you, I'll remind you of this day!" He cringes at that because fair, he did complain about them a lot.

Zara had been quiet since he had arrived, right in time to see him nearly get stabbed, and Julius can see the way his hands shake as he re-applies the trap.

Yami is here as well, having arrived at the same time, standing guard and probably still blaming himself for letting Licht escape. Far enough to keep an eye out, but close enough that he could hear the conversation.

Julius sighs, "I couldn't let him kill the people."

"And what would have happened if you had died then?" Julius felt his heart break a little. Zara doesn't know about _Swallowtail_. He had decided to not disclose that information to anyone in case it wouldn't work. "What would the Kingdom have done then?!"

As he had done so many years ago, Julius places his left hand on the back of his husband's neck and presses their foreheads together. "If I had died, I believed that the Magic Knights I entrusted _our_ vision with, would be able to protect the Kingdom."

Zara lets out a wet laugh, and he hears Yami snort and utter a faint and affectionate, "Yes, Sir."

_And then the lights rise._

**Author's Note:**

> Some OC info:  
> -Anthea means 'flower' or 'blossom'.  
> -Alma is the Latin word for 'soul', it felt appropriate.  
> -Azure and Aegean are names for shades of blue.  
> -The way I see it, whoever Julius' captain was, must have suffered a lot with this man with the attention span of a goldfish when it comes to unknown magic. Captain Webb was very much looking forward to her retirement.  
> -I like to think the feralness of our Vermillions comes from their mothers genes. And so Leonora Vermillion was born.


End file.
